A linear motor actuator may include a plurality of stators having windings that surround a translator rod. The translator rod may include a plurality of permanent magnets positioned thereon or coupled thereto. The linear motor actuator may further include a plurality of controllers that each provide current to a corresponding stator. As the current flows through the windings of the stators, a magnetic field is generated. The magnetic field forces the translator rod to move in either direction along a common actuation axis.
A control loop may be used by the controllers to control the current provided to each stator. If a sufficiently great amount of force is requested of the linear motor actuator (i.e., an amount of force that cannot be provided without all the stators providing current) then the system may identify a fault by determining that the requested force cannot be achieved. However, conventional linear motor actuators are incapable of identifying latent faults (which may occur when the amount of force requested can be provided by current from less than all the stators) because the control loop causes the non-faulty stators to make up for the lack of current from the faulty stator.